been forced to hide behind some buildings to get away from him. Whether this incident had been reported to the police at the time is not clear and – for as long as the police files remain closed – there is no easy way of verifying it. In 2019, a 440-page study devoted to this crime was published by Strange Attractor/MIT Press. Dead Fashion Girl: A Situationist Detective Story, was written by the academic and author, Dr Fred Vermorel. It reviewed the extant theories and rumours surrounding the crime, and mounted an investigation based on interviews with survivors and ex-police officers, as well as hitherto unseen documents. The book also examined Jean Townsend's Soho clubland and social connections, and her upbringing in suburban Ruislip. It identified a previously unknown suspect, a petty criminal and black marketeer, Brinsley McDowell, who allegedly died in police custody, as the potential murderer, and suggested that the original investigation had been marred by incompetence and obfuscation. Afterword Over half a century later, the murder of Jean Townsend remains unsolved. The killer or killers of Ellen Carlin, Muriel Maitland and Gloria Booth have also evaded justice. References 1954 murders in the United Kingdom 1954 in England Unsolved murders in England History of the London Borough of Hillingdon Crime in Middlesex 20th century in Middlesex September 1954 events in the United Kingdom Female murder victims Deaths by strangulation Violence against women in England